Friendship developed over historical photos

While in Kunming, Clinton Millett took Kodachrome slides of the countryside and of Chinese people going about their daily lives. He also captured the lively atmosphere of the streets and alleys in Kunming, the enchanting scenery of Dianchi Lake and the magnificent historical buildings in and around the city.

Jin proposed organizing a large-scale photo exhibition. Gregg Millett agreed to attend as a guest of Kunming.

In May 2004, Millett took the colored pictures back to Kunming for the exhibition. The monthlong show at the Yunnan Provincial Museum attracted more than 300,000 viewers.

Following the first exhibition, Jin, the principal organizer, published a book of the photographs. He also produced a 60-minute TV documentary about the show.

Later, the photos were identified by experts from the National Museum of China as the earliest color photos of China.

A third exhibition was held at the national museum in 2005. The original 152 Kodachrome slides were donated to the museum by the Millett family.